Gender-Based Violence A priority for the African Union Commission
With the ongoing crisis in Somalia, The African Union contingent has trained its police officers from the Southwest of Somalia on the dangers of GBV in other to enable the officers to enforce laws that will protect women and girls from SGBV crime in the country. This is a welcome development as the African Union is leaving no stone unturned in implementing the WPS Agenda in its peace processes.
Further details: https://www.africanews.com/2021/06/11/southwest-state-police-trained-on-tackling-gender-based-violence/
Access to Water: A means to end GBV
. The ability for women and girls to be less vulnerable to gender-based violence improves when they have access to basic amenities as they could be more vulnerable to predators. Access to water has been one of the major issues affecting women and girls as this is an essential commodity. In Zimbabwe, the interconnectedness between GBV and access to water, sanitation, and hygiene is recognized leading to a call from the Zimbabwe Women Bureau to the government to ensure the protection of women through providing water.
Further Details: https://allafrica.com/stories/202106070251.html
Safety for School Girls is at stake
The Minister of Education in South Africa was forced to mediate between parents and school management as tensions arose between the principal and parents following a female teenager committing suicide over allegations of being violently assaulted and bullied by another student. Assault of women does not happen in isolation as young predators get these ideas from their environments. The protection of women and girls from violent abuse or abuse of any kind, and a change of mindset such as sensitization is important to achieving gender equality.
Further Details: https://www.sabcnews.com/sabcnews/domestic-violence-and-gbv-have-spilled-over-to-schools/
Further,, the Commission of Gender Equality investigated and reported the state of shelters in South Africa and released a report of violence against girls. These shelters are meant to be a safety net for victims of GBV, but some shelters did not adequately care for the girl child such as no adequate record of child victims.
Further Details: https://www.sabcnews.com/sabcnews/children-the-forgotten-victims-of-gbv-and-domestic-violence/
Burkina Faso’s War claiming more lives
The government has declared 3-day national mourning following an attack that claimed the lives of 160 people in the northern village of Solhan. The government has said this attack is the deadliest since the conflict began in the country. This attack has left hospitals overwhelmed as a result of a lack of manpower and medical supplies. The attack happened on Friday night and the extent of death is unknown as the numbers continue to rise leaving people in need of aid.
Further Details: https://www.voanews.com/africa/more-160-killed-deadliest-attack-burkina-fasos-war
Mass grave burial for Tigray War Victims
Mass graves have been found in the Tigray region containing dozens of bodies. Locals say there are over 20 mass graves containing bodies found on the streets in the region. Cases of sexual violence on hundreds of women and girls by Eritrean soldiers, Amhara regional militia, and Ethiopian federal soldiers have also been reported. Nearly 2 million people in the Tigray region are displaced inside Ethiopia and more than 60 thousand have fled into Sudan.
Further Details: https://www.voanews.com/africa/residents-dig-mass-graves-bury-tigray-war-victims
Somalia Set to ban Female Genital Mutilation
The Puntland region of Somalia, which is semi-autonomous, has taken steps in the right direction to ban female genital mutilation. This is happening in a country where almost all women and girls are forced to undergo this practice. The bill was approved by the President of Puntland criminalizing this practice with stiff penalties for perpetrators. This is a step in the right direction for women and girls
Further Details: https://www.voanews.com/africa/somalias-puntland-moves-ban-female-genital-mutilation
